A question about the Mary Poppins cast recording

[Winston3]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 5:10pm

In the show there is a nice entre'act which isn't on the cast album. Neither is the act II opening of Cherry Tree Lane. But, I was wondering two things. Now I can understand them not wanting to add all of it due to space on the album and time to record it etc. But, why use the music for Runaway and the beginning of act II on the album. Wouldn't it make more sense as far as the story is concerned to have runaway be after Brimstone like it is in the show and to have the act II section of the CD start with Brimstone?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 7:25pm

I'll never understand why they didn't record more of the score. It would be nice to have the actual Entr'acte as well as "Precision and Order", the first "A Man Has Dreams", the Cherry Tree Lane opening for act two and the "Practically Perfect" reprise. Even if it couldn't all fit on one disc they still could have included them as bonus tracks on itunes or something.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 9:32pm

then what was the entr'acte on the recording? what does the actual one sound like?
Updated On: 1/18/09 at 09:32 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 10:01pm

The Entr'acte on the recording is an instrumental piece from the second act called "Run Away". I'm looking at the score though and there is no listed Entr'acte, just a single page of instrumental that has dialogue laid over it prior to the "Cherry Tree Lane" reprise. I guess that's it, and they probably chose not to record it because of the dialogue.

[Winston3]

Posted: 1/18/09 at 10:13pm

As the lights go down for the second act they play a bit of music. The first few notes that you hear as the lights are dimming are the tune of Practically Perfect. The rest as it was said has dialouge over it which could be the reason why it wasn't recorded. I don't know how many pages the "entre'act really is. I was sitting in the front row last night which is the last time I saw it and it looked to be maybe a page if not that then a tad longer then a page.

******SPOILER ALERT******

The music that is called "Run Away" is actually played when the kids are in fact running away. It takes place right after the first Brimstone and Trecale. When the kids meet and hate Ms. Andrews who was their father's nanny when he was a boy. During thed song Burt is writing in the sky "Welcome" as a message to the returning Mary Poppins. The music stops with the kids bumping into Burt.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/19/09 at 2:40am

It's about a full page of music before the dialogue begins with Winifered's line coming in on the final bar of the first page. Then another seven bars on the second page before Mrs. Brill begins with the first sung line of the "Cherry Tree Lane" reprise. It's only 23 bars of music before the song begins. I assume that 23 bars is the Entr'acte.

[Winston3]

Posted: 1/19/09 at 2:51am

I don't see why they couldn't have taken out the dialoug and just recorded the music that leads up to Cherry Tree Lane as well as that song itself. After all, it isn't uncommon on cast recordings when there normally would be dialoug to either alter it or just cut it altogether.

[broadwayfreak4]

Posted: 5/14/16 at 1:14am

I am going to be in a community theatre production of this show in August. I am aware there is a London Cast recording and an Australian Live cast recording. Does anyone know if the live cast recording follows along with the sheet music in the MTI licensed version?

[ChrisTyler12882]

Posted: 5/14/16 at 8:19am

The live cast recording is more accurate to what is licensed because it was recorded years after the London cast recording.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/14/16 at 9:42am

And yet they still used the "Run Away" music as the entr'acte on the live cast album too. I don't get it.

[Pernigraniline]

Posted: 5/14/16 at 1:37pm

The actual entr'acte itself is VERY short, and isnt a tune as such, but vamping. Its the lines "practically perfect in every way" and "we need a nanny who is discipled and stern" repeated several times, with Bert talking over the top. On its own on a cast album, it would sound most strange. Remember it was a single CD cast recording from 2004/5 (pre itunes as we know it!!) , and not one of the newer style with linking dialogue and underscore.

 

[broadwayfreak4]

Posted: 5/14/16 at 1:38pm

Is the Run Away music not used as the entr'acte in the licensed version?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/14/16 at 1:48pm

The "Run Away" music has never been used for the entr'acte except for its misleading placement on both cast albums. In the show the "Run Away" music is played in the scene in the second act where Jane and Michael run away.

[Pernigraniline]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 4:55am

Run Away is still used when the children run away from Miss Andrew - used as scene change music as the house is moved, and Bert is painting on the scrim.